Science / Weather Glossary

Cape: Acronym for Convective Available Potential Energy. The amount of energy available to create convection, with higher values increasing the possibility for severe weather.

Cape Verde Islands: A group of volcanic islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. A Cape Verde hurricane originates near here.

Carbon Dioxide (Co2): A heavy, colorless gas that is the fourth most abundant constituent of dry air, comprising 0.033% of the total.

Catalina Eddy: A weak low pressure circulation that may form off the Southern California coast.

Ceiling: The lowest cloud layer that is reported as broken or overcast. If the sky is totally obscured, then it is the height of the vertical visibility.

Ceiling Light: An instrument consisting of a drum and an optical system that projects a narrow vertical beam of light onto a cloud base.

Ceilometer: An instrument that is used to measure the angular elevation of a projected light on the base of a cloud. It measures the angle of the cloud base included by the observer (or machine), the ce . . . View Full Definition

Celestial Equator: The projection of the plane of the geographical equator upon the celestial sphere.

Celestial Sphere: The apparent sphere of infinite radius having the earth as its center. All heavenly bodies (planets, stars, etc.) appear on the 'inner surface' of this sphere and the sun moves along the ecliptic.

Celsius Temperature Scale: A temperature scale where water at sea level has a freezing point of 0°C (Celsius) and a boiling point of +100°C. More commonly used in areas that observe the metric system of measurement. C . . . View Full Definition

Central Pressure: The atmospheric pressure at the center of a high or low. It is the highest pressure in a high and the lowest pressure in a low, referring to the sea level pressure of the system on a surface chart.

Centrifugal Force: The apparent force in a rotating system that deflects masses radially outward from the axis of rotation. This force increases towards the equator and decreases towards the poles.

Centripetal Force: The force required to keep an object moving in a curved or circular path. It is directed inwards toward the center of the curved path.

Charles Law: States that when the pressure is held constant, the volume of a gas varies directly with the temperature. Therefore, if the pressure remains constant, the volume of a gas will increase with . . . View Full Definition

Chemosphere: A vaguely defined region of the upper atmosphere in which photochemical reactions take place. It includes the top of the stratosphere, all of the mesosphere, and sometimes the lower part of . . . View Full Definition

Cheyenne Fog: An upslope fog formed by the westward flow of air from the Missouri River Valley, producing fog on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

Chinook: A type of foehn wind. Refers to the warm downslope wind in the Rocky Mountains that may occur after an intense cold spell when the temperature could rise by 20°F to 40°F in a matter of minutes.

Chocolatta North: A West Indian gale that blows from the northwest.

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